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Residency Program Connection is devoted to bringing residency directors and coordinators expert advice, best practice strategies, and news you can use every other week to make your job just that much easier.

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Issue 44, November 5, 2019

• The causes of burnout among female surgical residents

  A survey of 7,400 physicians taken while they completed the 2018 American Board of Surgery...

• 6 ways systems could alleviate burnout

  At least one-third of U.S. clinicians experience burnout, often caused by lengthy work hours...

Issue 43, October 28, 2019

• Study: Nearly half of healthcare workers not getting enough sleep

  A new study found that a growing number of Americans are getting less than the recommended seven...

• The program coordinator's role with the clinical competency committee

  What is the role of the program coordinator (PC) in the clinical competency committee (CCC)? He or...

Issue 42, October 24, 2019

• Editor’s note

  We're always on the lookout for guest columns for Residency Program Alert. If there’s an...

• Four more specialties fully transition to ACGME accreditation

  One hundred percent of osteopathic programs in four specialties have recently completed the...

• Provide oversight of rotations at participating sites

  Participating sites are used in situations in which the sponsoring institution cannot provide...

• RPA Subscriber Exclusive: October issue of Residency Program Alert now available

  Residency Program Alert subscribers can now read all of the articles from the October issue of the...

Issue 41, October 14, 2019

• Report: More nutrition education needed in medical training

  On average, less than 1% of medical students’ lecture hours are spent on nutrition...

• Rotation scheduling: Eliminate duplicate rotations

  Program coordinators should look at the minimum number of cases that residents need in each...

Issue 40, October 9, 2019

• Editor's note

  If you’re a subscriber to Residency Program Alert (RPA), we hope you’ve been finding...

• Should Medicare cap GME funding at $150K per resident?

  Capping Medicare GME funding at $150,000 per resident could free nearly $1.3 billion that could be...

• Have residents play an active role in your program evaluation committee

  The ACGME requires at least one resident or fellow to be a part of the program evaluation committee...

Issue 39, October 4, 2019

• Medical schools failing to increase representation of minority groups

  Despite a decade-long effort to racially and ethnically diversify medical school graduates to...

• Workplace stressors: Gender bias and harassment

  Although efforts to improve the female physician workforce have been successful (as demonstrated...

Issue 38, September 25, 2019

• Editor's note

  We’re working on a few upcoming newsletter articles and could use your feedback. The first...

• Oklahoma looking for more physicians

  The president of the Oklahoma State Medical Association is lobbying state lawmakers to fund more...

• Enhance the oversight process with a program leadership retreat

  Educating constituents is essential to an effective, efficient, and efficacious oversight process...

• RPA Subscriber Exclusive: August issue of Residency Program Alert now available

  Residency Program Alert subscribers can now read all of the articles from the September issue of...

Issue 37, September 19, 2019

• AAFP calls for extension of Teaching Health Center Graduate Medical Education program

  With the Teaching Health Center Graduate Medical Education (THCGME) program set to expire on...

• Help residents, faculty understand Milestones

  Each program should sit down annually with resident and faculty groups to review expectations for...

Issue 36, September 10, 2019

• Study: Half of adverse events are caused by human error

  Baylor College of Medicine conducted an analysis examining surgeries over a six-month period that...

• Scheduling your annual program evaluation meeting

  When planning your annual program evaluation meeting, make sure that key players are able to...

• The Residency Program Director’s Handbook, Third Edition

  Residency program directors, who are full-time physicians themselves, are tasked with splitting...

Issue 35, September 4, 2019

• The most important factors residency applicants consider

  A desired geographic location is the most important factor when applying for residency programs...

• Selecting the number of interview days

  The first step in selecting interview dates is determining the number of dates needed to create...

Issue 34, August 28, 2019

• Rural states unite to combat physician shortages

  According to the Association of American Medical Colleges, the U.S. is expected to experience a...

• The evolution of the program coordinator role

  Prior to 2000 when the ACGME unveiled the Outcome Project and introduced the six core...

• RPA Subscriber Exclusive: August issue of Residency Program Alert now available

  Residency Program Alert subscribers can now read all of the articles from the August issue of the...

Issue 33, August 22, 2019

• Internal medicine residents say they are bullied

  Despite efforts to curb bullying and other disruptive behaviors during residency, a survey of more...

• Completing the resident survey

  The Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) designed the resident survey as a...

Issue 32, August 12, 2019

• Study: Medical errors are not more likely in July than other months

  According to the lore surrounding the medical myth, July suffers more medical errors than any other...

• Clinical competency committee composition

  The clinical competency committee (CCC) is responsible for ensuring that medical educators are...

Issue 31, August 7, 2019

• Spot the signs of sleep deprivation

  Several studies have shown that residents are not getting enough quality sleep during training...

• Interviewing residency program applicants

  There are two major residency candidate interviewing methodologies. Most programs use the open...

Issue 30, July 31, 2019

• Current trends in practitioner demand and salary

  According to the Merritt Hawkins 2019 Review of Physician and Advanced Practitioner Recruiting...

• Incorporating mindfulness training into your program

  One technique that has been proven in the literature to promote clear thinking, compassion...

Issue 29, July 24, 2019

• Former resident sentenced to prison for selling drugs

  A man arrested for selling fraudulent prescriptions through Craigslist and stealing the identities...

• Who should be on your program evaluation committee?

  The program evaluation committee (PEC) must include at least two faculty and one resident/fellow...

Issue 28, July 19, 2019

• Study: Reduced training hours doesn't affect quality of care

  The ACGME implemented a cap of 80 clinical and education work hours per week for residents in 2017...

• Review your program's overall educational goals

  The program evaluation committee (PEC) should review the overall educational goals of the program...

• Help us plan our next residency books!

  HCPro is working on a pair of books, and we need your feedback! The first one is about teaching...

Issue 27, July 12, 2019

• Plan announced for residents displaced by hospital's upcoming closing

  Late last month Hahnemann University Hospital in Philadelphia declared bankruptcy with plans to...

• Track residents' progress with Milestones

  Programs have historically evaluated trainees on the ACGME six core competencies and will continue...

Issue 26, July 1, 2019

• Study: Surgeons continue overprescribing opioids in spite of CDC warnings

  According to a recent analysis of Medicare data by Kaiser Health News and Johns Hopkins Bloomberg...

• Coordinators as self-advocates

  One of the best ways coordinators can promote themselves is to become proactive learners. Advocate...

Issue 25, June 27, 2019

• There's still time to make your voice heard

  It’s not too late to take our residency coordinator salary survey. Please take a few minutes...

• Survey: Majority of Americans concerned about healthcare worker burnout

  The issue of healthcare professional burnout is a major concern for 74% of Americans, according to...

• GME institutional oversight on the clinical competency committee

  Depending on how GME fits into your organizational structure, oversight will vary. Don’t look...

• RPA Subscriber Exclusive: June issue of Residency Program Alert now available

  Residency Program Alert subscribers can now read all of the articles from the June issue of the...

Issue 24, June 20, 2019

• Study finds healthcare workers often provide care while ill

  Many healthcare workers may be putting patients at risk by continuing to work when they have...

• Use curriculum to enhance your clinical learning environment

  Educating constituents is essential to an effective, efficient, and efficacious oversight process...

Issue 23, June 13, 2019

• Study: Resident performance suffers in rude operating rooms

  Anesthesiology residents scored lower in several performance metrics when assigned to rude...

• Use curriculum to enhance your oversight process

  Educating constituents is essential to an effective, efficient, and efficacious oversight process...

• The Resident's Orientation Handbook, Fourth Edition

  Entering a residency program can be a daunting task but managing and seeing those residents through...

Issue 22, June 6, 2019

• Take the 2019 Residency Coordinator Salary Survey

  It’s time for HCPro’s Residency Coordinator Salary Survey again. Please take a few...

• Study: Shorter shifts improve senior residents' sleep duration

  Senior residents were found to get more sleep per week when limited to shifts of no more than 16...

• Provide your residents with a forum

  Residents must have a forum for voicing concerns without fear of intimation or retaliation...

Issue 21, May 28, 2019

• GME funding limit is advancing physician shortage

  Many healthcare facilities are either forced to turn away residents or pay for their training out...

• Resident orientation materials and structure

  Incoming residents are often given several orientations: one by the sponsoring institution’s...

• RPA Subscriber Exclusive: Download the full May issue!

  Residency Program Alert subscribers can now read all of the articles from the May issue of the...

Issue 20, May 24, 2019

• Editor's note

  Dear readers, HCPro is working on a new handbook for residents to help them understand how to deal...

• Survey: Final-year residents prefer hospital employment

  The majority of respondents to Merritt Hawkins’ 2019 Survey of Final-Year Medical Residents...

• Establish rapport with fellows

  Regardless of whether it is written in a coordinator’s handbook or job description, it is...

Issue 19, May 15, 2019

• ACGME revokes USC cardiovascular fellowship accreditation

  The Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) has officially informed the...

Issue 18, May 10, 2019

• AAFP calls for changes to resident education

  Members of the American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP) are advocating for an expansion of...

• Benefits of using QR codes and a survey tool to track resident attendance

  Brandon Hamm, MD, MS, consultation liaison psychiatry fellow, and Sharon Ezzo, MS, C-TAGME...

• The Graduate Medical Education Program Management Workbook

  The Graduate Medical Education Program Management Workbook is an educational tool for coordinators...

Issue 17, May 1, 2019

• Study: Four hours of sleep is not enough for residents on overnight shifts

  A recently published study in the journal Sleep emphasized the fact residents really aren’t...

• Who should interview candidates?

  There are as many ways to organize and manage interview days as there are training programs. Each...

Issue 16, April 26, 2019

• University to provide $100 million in medical school scholarships

  Washington University School of Medicine has made a goal of having its medical students graduate...

• Responsibilities of specific GMEC members

  The graduate medical education committee (GMEC) is an Institutional Requirement for sponsoring...

Issue 15, April 17, 2019

• Editor's note

  Dear readers, Are you a new coordinator looking for training to get you up to speed on your GME...

• Study: First-year residents spend 13% of their shift face-to-face with patients

  A new study published in JAMA Internal Medicine from researchers at Penn Medicine and Johns...

• Heard this week

  “[Medicare for All policies would] surely jeopardize the relationship people have with their...

• Structuring your program's didactic curriculum

  The common program requirements stipulate that the residency program must provide regularly...

• Online orientation for your residents

  Get your residents up to speed and ensure ACGME compliance with the Resident’s Orientation...

Issue 14, April 12, 2019

• Large pay gap still exists between male and female physicians

  In 2019, primary care physicians earned an average of $237,000 and specialists earned $341,000...

• Heard this week

  “I am an obstetrician-gynecologist, and my favorite show is Grey’s Anatomy.”

• Use games to teach residents

  Whether conference attendance is low, residents seem bored, or you’re ready to try something...

Issue 13, April 5, 2019

• Residents: How to find time for professional development

  It is no surprise that residents spend much of their time in clinical environments, making any...

• Heard this week

  “And we believe that training in a community setting provides better access and more exposure...

• Overall health maintenance

  How do doctors keep from getting sick? The simple answer is that they don’t! Residents are...

Issue 12, March 29, 2019

• Residents may be able to work longer hours

  Resident shift length does not affect patient mortality, according to the results of the iCOMPARE...

• Heard this week

  "Growing up, I admired my family physician for always taking time to explain things to me, a...

• RPA Subscriber Exclusive: Download the full March issue!

  Residency Program Alert subscribers can now read all of the articles from the March issue of the...

• The role of the program evaluation committee

  The program evaluation committee (PEC) must be composed of at least two program faculty members and...

Issue 11, March 22, 2019

• How to encourage hospital patients to speak up about concerns

  Encouraging patients to speak up about problems that occur during hospitalizations can improve...

• Heard this week

  "If you’re a single person who likes nature, or if you have kids and you need child...

Issue 10, March 15, 2019

• Editor’s Note

  Happy Match Day! Congratulations, this is the day many of you have been working toward for months...

• Heard this week

  "I still recall how I've never before (or since) experienced the full range of human emotion...

• Match Day results

  A record number of medical school students and graduates applied for residency positions this year...

• Policies regarding resident and fellow health

  In a recent survey of residents and fellows, 51% reported not establishing care with a primary care...

• The Clinician's Quick Guide to Credentialing and Privileging

  Clinicians are often unaware of the detailed steps of the credentialing process and are too...

Issue 9, March 8, 2019

• Are you at the ACGME conference? Stop by our booth!

  We’re exhibiting at the 2019 ACGME Annual Education Conference in Orlando! Stop by Booth 23...

• VHA hired practitioners with adverse actions in NPDB

  A report from the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) found that the Veterans Health...

• Heard this week

  "Patients do better when they are taken care of by people who look like them." - Mia...

Issue 8, February 20, 2019

• Moonlighting as a medical resident

  Moonlighting affords several benefits to residents. It allows them to bring in additional income...

• Heard this week

  “The ability to stay calm, when everyone around you is decompensating, is a skill that is...

• Categorical vs. preliminary residents

  The ACGME uses the terms “categorical” and “preliminary” to identify the...

• Resident Well-Being: A Guide for Residency Programs

  For many new physicians, residency can be a major source of stress and fatigue, which affects their...

Issue 7, February 15, 2019

• 2017 Residency Coordinator Salary Survey Report

    The Residency Coordinator Salary Survey Report is now available! RPA subscribers can...

• Heard this week

   "If our patients receive a cancer diagnosis, we need to care for them with a spirit of...

• Education and Compensation

  As in any profession, salaries for residency coordinators can vary widely depending on geography or...

• Physicians take top six spots on US salary survey

  Physicians accounted for eight of the top 15 highest-paying jobs, with most earning more than...

Issue 6, February 6, 2019

• Last AOA Match places 886 physicians into residency programs

  The American Osteopathic Association (AOA) recently announced that 886 osteopathic medical school...

• Heard this week

  “The biggest thing with the Match is, at the end of the day, you’re in control. If you...

Issue 5, February 1, 2019

• Specialties with largest compensation increases in 2017

  Cardiologists saw the biggest pay increases from 2017-2018—a 4.4% raise in compensation...

• Heard this week

  Outside moonlighting is an overlooked opportunity. Often discussed in hushed tones, this needs to...

Issue 4, January 24, 2019

• Study: Reading for pleasure combats physician burnout

  Recent studies confirm that non-medical reading can combat burnout by increasing empathy and...

• Heard this week

  "I entered residency self-assured, if not in my scholarly achievements, at least in who I am...

Issue 3, January 18, 2019

• Heard this week

  "Speaking to patients in my clinic, during hospital rounds or out in the community, allows me...

• Preparing for a clinical competency committee meeting

  Depending on the size of your program, preparation for the clinical competency committee (CCC...

• AMA accepting proposals for Reimagining Residency grant

  The AMA is calling on medical schools, GME programs/sponsoring institutions, and healthcare...

Issue 2, January 9, 2019

• Study: Career and specialty choice regret leads to burnout in residents

  According to recent research published in JAMA, one in seven medical residents regret their career...

• Heard this week

  “We need to foster an epidemic of mindfulness, a discipline of collective reflection and...

• Evolution of the program coordinator title

  As the role of the coordinator has evolved, so has the title. The coordinator position grew out...

Issue 1, January 4, 2019

• Supporting second victims

  More attention is being paid to second victims, and support options are slowly growing. Leaders...

• Heard this week

  "The expense is curiosity, and the result is a generation of physicians entering clinical...

• Resident terminated for anti-Semitic posts

   A first-year resident training at the Cleveland Clinic has been fired after multiple...